Fluid flow sampling device

ABSTRACT

A fluid flow sampling device comprises a housing and a sleeve disposed in the housing having openings corresponding to an inlet and an outlet of the housing. The sleeve is movable relative to the housing to an open position and a closed position. The open position aligns the openings of the sleeve with the inlet and the outlet to allow fluid to flow into the inlet, through the sleeve, and out of the outlet. The closed position blocks the inlet and/or the outlet with a portion of the sleeve such that fluid is prevented from flowing through the sleeve. A coalescent filter is disposed in the sleeve between the inlet and the outlet to allow some fluid to pass through the filter for sampling and to allow another portion of fluid to flow past the filter and out of the outlet to carry away coalescent material on the filter. Additionally, a sample outlet port facilitates removal of fluid from the sampling device for sampling.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/646,197, filed Oct. 5, 2012, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/558,181, filed Nov. 10, 2011,each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

A variety of gases and liquids carried by pipes or conduits oftenrequire sampling and analysis. For example, fluids found in refineries,petrochemical pipelines, natural gas pipelines, etc. are commonlysampled and analyzed for various purposes. Some sampling devices extendinto a fluid conduit to enable extraction of fluid from the conduit asthe fluid flows past the sampling device. Often, impurities can bepresent in the fluid and it may be desirable to isolate fluid materialto be sampled and analyzed from impurities entrained in the fluid.Sampling devices therefore can include coalescent elements to removeentrained liquids from a gas. In some sampling devices, the coalescentelement can become clogged with coalescent material, which reduces theeffectiveness of the sampling device and can require removal andreplacement of the coalescent element. It is therefore desirable tomaintain the coalescent element free of coalescent material to theextent possible. For example, some sampling devices are configured toallow the coalescent material to “drip” or “run off” the coalescentelement under the effect of gravity. This is a passive approach toremoval of the coalescent material from the coalescent element and maynot always be effective.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side cross-sectional view of a fluid flow sampling devicein an open position in accordance with an example of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 1B is the fluid flow sampling device of FIG. 1A in a closedposition.

FIG. 2 is the fluid flow sampling device of FIG. 1A illustratinglocations of a fluid inlet and outlet within a fluid conduit.

FIG. 3A is a side view of a housing illustrating an inlet and outletconfiguration in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the inlet and outlet configuration of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a side view of a housing illustrating an inlet and outletconfiguration in accordance with another example of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4B is a top view of the inlet and outlet configuration of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a housing illustrating features configured tolimit relative rotational movement of the housing and a sleeve.

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a fluid flow sampling device inaccordance with another example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A is a side cross-sectional view of a fluid flow sampling devicein an open position in accordance with still another example of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 7B is the fluid flow sampling device of FIG. 7A in a closedposition.

FIG. 8A is a side cross-sectional view of a fluid flow sampling deviceshowing an inlet in an open position in accordance with an additionalexample of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a side cross-sectional view of the fluid flow sampling deviceof FIG. 8A showing an outlet in an open position.

FIG. 8C is a side cross-sectional view of the fluid flow sampling deviceof FIG. 8A showing the inlet in a closed position.

FIG. 8D is a side cross-sectional view of the fluid flow sampling deviceof FIG. 8A showing the outlet in a closed position.

FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of a fluid flow sampling device inaccordance with yet another example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a fluid flow sampling devicein accordance with still another example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a method in accordance with an example ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to certain examples, and specific languagewill be used herein to describe the same. Examples discussed herein setforth a fluid flow sampling device that can enable sampling of fluidfrom a fluid conduit. In particular examples, the fluid flow samplingdevice can provide active removal of coalescent material from acoalescent element. Additionally, in some examples the fluid flowsampling device can enable removal of the coalescent element from thedevice for inspection or replacement.

Specifically, a fluid flow sampling device can comprise a housing havinga fluid inlet and a fluid outlet longitudinally separated from oneanother along an axis of the housing. The fluid flow sampling device canalso comprise a sleeve disposed in the housing having openingscorresponding to the inlet and the outlet of the housing, the sleevebeing movable relative to the housing to an open position and a closedposition. The open position aligns the openings of the sleeve with theinlet and the outlet of the housing to allow fluid to flow into theinlet, through the sleeve, and out of the outlet. The closed positionblocks the inlet and/or the outlet with a portion of the sleeve suchthat fluid is prevented from flowing through the sleeve. It is notedthat the presence of small leaks or incomplete sealing when in theclosed position would still be considered as preventing fluid flowthrough the sleeve. The fluid flow sampling device can further comprisea coalescent filter disposed in the sleeve between the inlet and theoutlet to allow a sampling portion of the fluid to pass through thefilter and to allow a bypass portion of the fluid to flow past thefilter and out of the outlet to carry away coalescent material on thefilter. Additionally, the fluid flow sampling device can comprise asample outlet port on a side of the housing to facilitate removal of thesampling portion of the fluid from the sampling device for sampling.

In another example, a fluid flow sampling device can comprise a fluidinlet positionable in a middle third of a fluid conduit. The fluid flowsampling device can also comprise a fluid outlet longitudinallyseparated from the fluid inlet, and in one embodiment, it can bepositionable in an outer third of the fluid conduit. The fluid flowsampling device can also comprise a coalescent filter disposed betweenthe inlet and the outlet to allow a sampling portion of fluid to passthrough the filter and to allow a bypass portion of the fluid to flowpast the filter and out of the outlet to carry away coalescent materialfrom the filter. Additionally, the fluid flow sampling device cancomprise a sample outlet port to facilitate removal of the samplingportion of the fluid from the sampling device for sampling.

In yet another example, a fluid flow sampling device can comprise ahousing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet longitudinally separatedfrom one another along an axis of the housing. The fluid flow samplingdevice can also comprise a coupling portion on the housing to couple thefluid flow sampling device to a fluid conduit, and optionally, the fluidinlet can be positioned in a middle third of the fluid conduit. Thefluid inlet and the fluid outlet are fluidly coupled to one another suchthat a bypass portion of fluid flow in the fluid conduit enters theinlet, flows through the housing, and exits the outlet. A samplingportion of the fluid flow can be extractable from within the housing toa location outside of the fluid conduit. In addition, the fluid flowsampling device can comprise a sample outlet port to facilitateextraction of the sampling portion of the fluid from within the housingfor sampling.

Furthermore, a method for configuring a fluid flow sampling device inaccordance with the principles herein can comprise obtaining a housinghaving a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet longitudinally separated fromone another along an axis of the housing, and a sample outlet port tofacilitate extraction of fluid from within the housing. The method canalso comprise obtaining a coalescent filter. Additionally, the methodcan comprise disposing the coalescent filter in the housing between theinlet and the outlet to allow a sampling portion of fluid to passthrough the filter extraction via the sample outlet port for samplingand to allow a bypass portion of the fluid to flow past the filter andout of the outlet to carry away coalescent material on the filter.Optionally, the method can further comprise obtaining a sleeve havingopenings corresponding to the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of thehousing, the sleeve being movable relative to the housing to an openposition and a closed position. The open position aligns the openings ofthe sleeve with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of the housing toallow fluid to flow into the fluid inlet, through the sleeve, and out ofthe fluid outlet. The closed position blocks the fluid inlet and/or thefluid outlet with a portion of the sleeve such that fluid is preventedfrom flowing through the sleeve. This sleeve can then be disposed in thehousing at least substantially around the coalescent filter. Again, itis noted that the presence of small leaks or incomplete sealing when inthe closed position would still be considered as preventing fluid flowthrough the sleeve.

With these general examples set forth above, it is noted in the presentdisclosure that when describing the fluid flow sampling devicesdescribed herein, or their related methods, each of these descriptionsare considered applicable to the other, whether or not they areexplicitly discussed in the context of that embodiment. For example, indiscussing the fluid flow sampling device per se, the method embodimentsare also included in such discussions, and vice versa.

Furthermore, various modifications and combinations can be derived fromthe present disclosure and illustrations, and as such, the followingfigures should not be considered limiting. It is noted that referencenumerals in various FIGS. will be shown in some cases that are notspecifically discussed in that particular figure. Thus, discussion ofany specific reference numeral in a given figure is applicable to thesame reference numeral of related figures shown herein.

Illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B is fluid flow sampling device 100. Thefluid flow sampling device 100 can be mounted, installed, or otherwiseassociated with a fluid conduit 101, such as a pipe. For simplicity,only a portion of a wall of the fluid conduit 101 is shown in FIGS. 1Aand 1B. Typically, the fluid flow sampling device 100 is supported bythe fluid conduit 101 in a manner that allows the fluid flow samplingdevice to extend into an interior of the fluid conduit, though otherarrangements are also included within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

The fluid flow sampling device 100 can include housing 110. The housing110 can be coupled to the fluid conduit 101 by any suitable means, suchas by a threaded interface, a weld, or an adhesive, individually or inany combination. In use, the conduit 101 may be pressurized by a fluidcontained therein. For example, the fluid can be pressurized from about500 psi to about 1500 psi and, more particularly, from about 800 psi toabout 1000 psi, though these ranges are provided for exemplary purposesonly. In one aspect, the sampling device 100 helps to form a pressurebarrier for the pressurized fluid within the conduit. Thus, suitablecouplings of the conduit 101 and the housing 110 and between variouscomponents of the sampling device 100 discussed herein can be configuredto withstand the fluid pressure within the conduit 101.

The housing 110 can have a fluid inlet 112 and a fluid outlet 114. Thefluid inlet will sometimes be referred to simply as “inlet” and thefluid outlet will sometimes be referred to simply as “outlet.” Somefluid flowing in the conduit 101 can enter the sampling device 100 viathe fluid inlet 112 and can exit the sampling device via the fluidoutlet 114. The fluid inlet 112 can be oriented in the fluid conduit 101facing generally “upstream,” such that fluid flowing in direction 102can enter the fluid inlet 112. The fluid outlet 114 can be oriented inthe fluid conduit 101 facing generally “downstream,” such that fluidflowing out of the fluid outlet 114 can readily rejoin fluid flowing inthe fluid conduit 101. This positioning of the inlet 112 and the outlet114 relative to one another can induce fluid flow through the housing110 from the inlet 112 to the outlet 114 resulting from a pressuredifference between the inlet 112 and the outlet 114. In one aspect, thefluid inlet 112 and the fluid outlet 114 can be longitudinally separatedfrom one another along an axis 103 of the housing 110. This longitudinalseparation can allow the fluid to flow through the housing in adirection generally parallel to the axis 103. In a particular aspect,the housing 110 can be of an elongate configuration to accommodate orfacilitate a suitable longitudinal separation of the fluid inlet 112 andthe fluid outlet 114. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the fluid inlet 112 canbe positionable in a middle third 104 of the fluid conduit 101.Additionally, the fluid outlet 114 can be positionable in an upper third105 of the fluid conduit 101, though this is not required.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, side and top views of the housing 110 areillustrated. Specifically, the perspective of the FIG. 3A side view isdirected “upstream,” such that the outlet 114 is visible and the inlet112 is hidden. The inlet 112 and the outlet 114 are each disposed on aside of the housing and are each oriented substantially perpendicular tothe axis 103. In this case, the inlet and the outlet are disposed onopposite sides of the housing. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the inlet andthe outlet are disposed at an angle 106 of about 180 degrees from oneanother about the axis 103, though other angles may also be used, e.g.,90 degrees, 120 degrees, etc.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate another embodiment of an outlet configurationfor a fluid flow sampling device. Due to the fluid dynamics involved influid flow around an object, eddy currents can form on the downstreamside of the object. Eddy currents can cause buffeting, which can inhibitfluid flow out of an outlet on a downstream side of a housing of thepresent disclosure. Thus, to improve fluid flow out an outlet, a housing110A can include an outlet 114A positioned outside of an eddy currentforming area on the downstream side of the housing 110A. The positioningof the outlet 114A can be defined by an angle 107 relative to an inlet112A (oriented on an upstream side of the housing 110A). The angle 107can be any angle that positions the outlet 114A outside of an eddycurrent area on the downstream side of the housing 110A. Additionally, asecond fluid outlet 114B can be disposed at an angle 108 relative to theinlet 112A about the axis 103A. As with the outlet 114A, the outlet 114Bcan be any angle that positions the outlet 114B outside of an eddycurrent area on the downstream side of the housing 110A. In one aspect,the angle 107 and/or the angle 108 can be from about 90 degrees to about175 degrees. In a particular aspect, the angle 107 and/or the angle 108is about 120 degrees. In another particular aspect (an embodiment ofwhich is illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8D), the angle 107 and/or the angle 108is about 90 degrees. This can locate outlet 114A and/or 114B at a highvelocity point in the fluid flowing around the sampling device, whichcan reduce or minimize buffeting effects from eddy currents. Althoughthe outlet 114A and the outlet 114B are longitudinally separated fromthe inlet 112A along the axis 103A, the outlet 114A and the outlet 114Bmay or may not be at the same longitudinal distance from the inlet 112A.

In general, an inlet and an outlet can be of any suitable size or shapeand may or may not be the same size or shape. In one aspect, an inletand an outlet can have openings that are of substantially the same sizearea. In another aspect, an outlet can have an opening area size that isgreater than an opening area size of an inlet. With continued referenceto FIGS. 4A and 4B, the opening area sizes of outlets 114A and 114B mayor may not be the same. Furthermore, the combined opening areas ofoutlets 114A and 114B may or may not be the same as an opening area ofinlet 112A. In one aspect, the combined opening areas of outlets 114Aand 114B can be greater than or equal to the opening area of inlet 112A.

With further reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, fluid that enters the housing110 can be withdrawn from the sampling device 100 by an internal conduit130. In this case, the internal conduit 130 is substantially alignedwith the longitudinal axis 103 and extends through an interior supportmember 160 disposed inside a sleeve 120, which can be disposed in thehousing 110. The internal conduit 130 can be fluidly coupled to aninterior of the housing 110 (or, more specifically in this case, to aninterior of the sleeve 120) and to an exterior of the sampling device100, for example, via a sample outlet port 133 that is substantiallyaligned with the internal conduit 130 and the longitudinal axis 103. Thesampling device 100 can include a fitting 132 coupled to the sampleoutlet port 133 that can interface with a tube or pipe (not shown) fortransporting a fluid sample from the device 100 to a reservoir ortesting station for analysis.

The sleeve 120 can have openings 122, 124 corresponding to the inlet 112and the outlet 114 of the housing 110. The sleeve 120 can be movablerelative to the housing 110 to an open position (shown in FIG. 1A) and aclosed position (shown in FIG. 1B). In one aspect, the sleeve 120 can berotatably movable about the axis 103 to the open and closed positions.The open position aligns the openings 122, 124 of the sleeve 120 withthe inlet 112 and the outlet 114 of the housing 110 to allow fluid toflow into the inlet 112, through the sleeve 120, and out of the outlet114. The closed position blocks the inlet 112 and the outlet 114 with aportion 126, 128 of the sleeve 120 such that no fluid can flow throughthe sleeve 120. Thus, rotation of the sleeve 120 to the open positioncan allow sampling fluid to be withdrawn from the conduit 101 via thesampling device 100 and rotation of the sleeve 120 to the closedposition can prevent fluid from being withdrawn from the conduit byisolating the interior of the sleeve from the fluid flow in the conduit.The sleeve 120 can be manipulated at a location 121 external to thefluid conduit 101 to rotate the sleeve 120 between the open and closedpositions. For example, the sleeve 120 can be configured with a handleor a wrench interface to enable rotation of the sleeve 120.

The sleeve 120 and the housing 110 can include features that enablerotation of the sleeve relative to the housing. For example, the housing110 can include a shelf 111 configured to interface with a bottom sideof a tab 127 of the sleeve 120. The housing 110 can also be configuredto extend beyond the tab 127 and to capture a C-clip 134 that interfaceswith a top side of the tab 127. In this configuration, relative movementof the sleeve 120 and the housing 110 is constrained in all directionsexcept for rotation about the axis 103.

In one aspect, however, even the relative rotational movement of thesleeve 120 and the housing 110 can be limited. This is illustrated moreparticularly in FIG. 5, which shows a top view of the housing 110, andwith additional reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. The housing 110 caninclude an arcuate channel 116 in the shelf 111. The channel 116 can beconfigured to interface with an extension 129 from the tab 127. Duringrelative rotation, the extension 129 can move within the channel 116between ends 117, 118 of the channel 116, which limits the range ofrotation of the sleeve 120 relative to the housing 110. The rotationallimits can correspond to the open position at one end and the closedposition at the opposite end. As shown, the channel 116 permits up to180 degrees of rotation. Thus, the sleeve can rotate up to 180 degreesbetween a fully open position and a completely closed position. Itshould be recognized, however, that the range of motion limitation neednot be 180 degrees. For example, a range of motion limitation of 90degrees or less between the open and closed positions may be suitablefor the sampling device 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, depending onthe size of the inlet 112 and outlet 114. With rotational limits, a usercan be informed of whether the sampling device 100 is in an open or aclosed position.

With further reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, when in the closed position,the portions 126, 128 of the sleeve 120 can be subjected to the fluidpressure within the conduit 101. Thus, the sleeve 120 can be configuredto withstand the fluid pressure within the conduit 101 when in theclosed position such that little or no fluid can penetrate the pressureboundary formed by the sleeve 120 and the housing 110. To improve theintegrity of this pressure boundary or, in other words, to minimizeleakage between the sleeve 120 and the housing 110, pressure seals 140,141 can be disposed between the sleeve 120 and the housing 110. Thepressure seals 140, 141 can include openings 142, 144 corresponding tothe openings 122, 124 of the sleeve 120 and the inlet 112 and the outlet114 of the housing 110. In one aspect, the pressure seals 140, 141 canbe constrained to move with the sleeve 120, such that rotation of thesleeve causes rotation of the pressure seals. In a particular aspect,the pressure seals 140, 141 can be fitted into channels 123, 125 formedin the sleeve 120 to more fully integrate the pressure seals with thesleeve. On the other hand, the pressure seals 140, 141 can be fixedrelative to the housing 110, such that the sleeve 120 rotates relativeto the pressure seals. In one aspect, the pressure seals 140, 141 canreduce friction between the sleeve 120 and the housing 110 to reduce theforce required to rotate the sleeve relative to the housing.Accordingly, the pressure seals 140, 141 can be constructed of PTFE, forexample. The pressure seals 140, 141 can be configured as a ring orsheath to extend substantially 360 degrees around the sleeve 120. Itshould be recognized, however, that the pressure seals 140, 141 can belimited to only a local area about the openings 122, 124 and/or theinlet 112 and the outlet 114. Additional pressure seals 135, 136, 137,138, 139 can be used, as needed, to provide a sufficient pressurebarrier between various components of the sampling device 100. Suitablepressure seals can include O-rings, gaskets, or the like.

The sampling device 100 can further include a coalescent filter 150disposed in the sleeve 120 between the inlet 112 and the outlet 114. Thecoalescent filter 150 can be used, for example, to allow a gas to passthrough the filter for sampling, while preventing a liquid from passingthrough. In a conduit carrying primarily gas, for example, thecoalescent filter 150 can separate entrained liquid from the gas, suchthat only gas is sampled from the conduit. The liquid filtered from thegas, or the coalescent material, can then be forcibly removed from thefilter by fluid flowing around the filter as the fluid passes from theinlet 112 to the outlet 114. Thus, in other words, the coalescent filter150 can be configured to allow a sample portion of fluid to pass throughthe filter for sampling and to allow another portion, or a bypassportion, of fluid to flow past the filter and out of the outlet to carryaway coalescent material on the filter. In this way, the coalescentfilter 150 is actively cleansed of coalescent material deposited on thefilter. The pressure drop between the inlet 112 and the outlet 114creates an active flow through the housing 110 and around the filter 150that can remove the coalescent material from the filter. Thelongitudinal separation between the inlet 112 and the outlet 114, withat least a portion of the filter 150 disposed between, ensures thatfluid flow from the inlet to the outlet will sweep across the filter.Thus, coalescent material can be removed from the filter 150 regardlessof the direction or effect of gravity on the coalescent material.Accordingly, the sampling device 100 can be oriented in any directionwithout regard to the direction of gravity and the cleansing action ofthe fluid flow through the device will still effectively removecoalescent material from the filter 150 and from within the samplingdevice.

In one aspect, the coalescent filter 150 can be removed from theinterior of the housing 110 and/or the sleeve 120. On occasion, it maybe useful to remove the coalescent filter 150 from the sampling device100, such as for inspection or replacement. As illustrated in FIGS. 1Aand 1B, the filter 150 can be coupled to the interior support member160. The interior support member 160 can be coupled to the sleeve 120via a removable coupling such as a threaded engagement 162. Thus, whenin the closed position with the inlet 112 and the outlet 114 sealed, theinterior support member 160 can be disengaged from the sleeve 120, andthe interior support member with the attached filter 150 can be removedfrom the sampling device 100. To prepare the sampling device 100 foruse, the filter 150 and the interior support member 160 can be insertedinto the sleeve 120 and housing 110, and the interior support member 160can be coupled to the sleeve. Following this, the sleeve 120 can berotated to the open position to allow fluid to flow into the housing 110through the inlet 112, whereby fluid can be removed from the interior ofthe conduit 101 for sampling.

Referring to FIG. 6, illustrated is an embodiment of a fluid flowsampling device 200 that demonstrates a coupling between a coalescentfilter 250 and an interior support member 260. A filter support member262 can be disposed inside the filter 250 and coupled to the interiorsupport member 260 at connection 261, which can be a threadedconnection. The filter 250 can engage the interior support member 260with an engagement feature 265. A cap 264 can engage the filter 250 withan engagement feature 266 and can be coupled to the filter supportmember 262 at connection 263, which can also be a threaded connection.The filter support member 262 can be configured to provide a distancebetween the engagement points 265, 266 of the interior support member260 and the cap 264 that is substantially the same as the length 252 ofthe filter 250. It should be recognized that in some embodiments theinterior support member 260 and the filter support member 262 can beintegral components. It should also be recognized that in otherembodiments the filter support member 262 and the cap 264 can beintegral components.

The filter support member 262 can include an interior opening 267 thatis in fluid communication with an internal conduit 230. An opening, suchas a plurality of holes 268, can fluidly connect an exterior of thefilter support member 262 with the interior opening 267. Thus, thefilter support member 262 can provide support for the filter 250 andallow fluid to flow through the filter support member for sampling. Theholes 268 allow fluid to flow from an exterior of the filter supportmember to an interior of the filter support member. In operation, fluidthat has passed through the filter 250 can enter the interior opening267 of the filter support member 262 via the holes 268, and then proceedthrough internal conduit 230 to exit the sampling device 200.

With reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, illustrated is a fluid flow samplingdevice 300 in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. Thisexample illustrates another configuration of an inlet for a samplingdevice. For simplicity, the conduit and sampling device interface hasbeen omitted. In this example, an inlet 312 is disposed at an end 315 ofthe housing 310. In one aspect, the inlet can be oriented substantiallyparallel to longitudinal axis 303.

The sleeve 320 can have an opening 322 corresponding to the inlet 312 ofthe housing 310. As in the examples discussed above, the sleeve 320 canbe rotatable relative to the housing 310 about the axis 303 to an openposition (shown in FIG. 7A) and a closed position (shown in FIG. 7B).The open position aligns the opening 322 of the sleeve 320 with theinlet 312 of the housing 310. The closed position blocks the inlet 312with a portion 326 of the sleeve 320 such that no fluid can flow throughthe sleeve 320. In order to withstand the fluid pressure acting on theportion 326 of the sleeve, the end 329 of the sleeve can have increasedwall thickness. Additionally, pressure seal 340 can be configured tocover the end 329 of the sleeve 320 and optionally a side of the sleeve.Covering the end can contribute primarily to forming a pressure boundaryand covering the side can contribute primarily to reducing frictionbetween the sleeve 320 and the housing 310 when the sleeve is rotated.

In one aspect, an end surface 319 of the housing 310 can be at an angle306 from about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees relative to the axis 303.Such an angle can present an entrance 313 to the inlet 312 that isexposed to fluid flowing in direction 302 toward the inlet.

With reference to FIGS. 8A-8D, illustrated is a fluid flow samplingdevice 400 in accordance with another example of the present disclosure.The sampling device 400 shares many similarities with the samplingdevice 200 of FIG. 6. The present example illustrates, among otherthings, another configuration for a movable sleeve 420 relative to thehousing 410. For example, in the sampling device 400, the sleeve 420 canbe movable relative to the housing 410 in translation along axis 403 tothe open position (showing an inlet of the sampling device in FIG. 8Aand an outlet of the sampling device 400 in FIG. 8B) and the closedposition (showing an inlet of the sampling device 400 in FIG. 8C and anoutlet of the sampling device 400 in FIG. 8D). In one aspect, the sleeve420 can be movable relative to the housing 410 via a threaded interface470 between the sleeve and the housing. The threaded interface canfacilitate both translational and rotational movement of the sleeve 420relative to the housing 410. Although a threaded interface is shown anddescribed, it should be recognized that relative translational movementbetween the sleeve and housing can be accomplished in any suitablemanner.

A handle 472 can be included to assist a user in moving the sleeve 420,such as by rotating the sleeve 420 to cause translational movement viathe threaded interface 470. It should be recognized that a wrench or thelike can be used to rotate the sleeve 420, in which case the sleeve 420can be configured to interface with a wrench. In the embodiment shown,the handle 472 can be used to cause rotation of the sleeve 420 andresulting translation along the axis 403 via threaded interface 470 withthe housing 410. The handle 472 can extend above the housing 410 toallow the user to grasp or interface with the handle. The handle can beintegrally formed with the sleeve or a separate component. As shown, thehandle 472 is a separate component coupled to the sleeve 420 with a clip474, such as a C-clip. The interface between the handle 472 and thesleeve 420 can be configured to limit relative rotation between themsuch that the handle can be used to rotate the sleeve relative to thehousing. The housing 410 can also be configured to secure a C-clip 434that can capture the sleeve 420 within the housing 410. This can preventunwanted removal or ejection of the sleeve 420 from the housing 410.

As referred to above relative to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the sampling device400 of FIGS. 8A-8D includes two outlets 414A, 414B. The outlets areshown located 90 degrees about the axis 403 from the inlet 412 and 180degrees about the axis 403 from one another on opposite sides of thesampling device. This location of the outlets can be at or near a highvelocity point in the fluid flowing around the sampling device, whichcan reduce or minimize buffeting effects from eddy currents.

The sampling device 400 can also include pressure seals 440A, 440Bassociated with an inlet opening 422 of the sleeve, and pressure seals441A, 441B associated with outlet openings 424A, 424B of the sleeve.When in the open position, the inlet and outlet opening of the sleevecan be substantially aligned with the inlet 412 and outlets 414A, 414B,respectively. Pressure seals 440A, 441A can be configured to prevent thepassage of fluid between interfacing surfaces of the sleeve 420 and thehousing 410 that would bypass the inlet and outlet openings 422, 424A,424B in the sleeve 420. Additionally, pressure seal 441B can beconfigured to prevent the passage of fluid between the sleeve and thehousing that would tend to escape the sampling device via the threadedinterface 470.

In operation, the sleeve 420 can be rotated using the handle 472,causing translation of the sleeve along the axis 403 via the threadedinterface 470. When the sleeve is moving to the open position, thepressure seals 440A, 440B, 441A, 441B can move or slide past therespective inlet and outlets to form seals between the sleeve andhousing, as discussed above. In addition, the sleeve 420 and/or thehousing 410 can be configured to form a cavity 476 near the inlet 412 toallow fluid to escape through the inlet as the sleeve is moved along theaxis 403 from the closed position to the open position. The cavity cantherefore facilitate the escape of fluid, or venting, around the lowerpressure seal 440B from the inlet end of the housing that may preventthe sleeve from moving into the open position.

Fluid that enters the housing 410 can be withdrawn from the samplingdevice 400 by an internal conduit 430. In this case, the internalconduit 130 extends through an interior support member 460 in support ofa filter 450 disposed inside a sleeve 420, which can be disposed in thehousing 410. The internal conduit 430 can be fluidly coupled to aninterior of the housing 410 (or, more specifically in this case, to aninterior of the sleeve 420) and to an exterior of the sampling device400. In one aspect, the sampling device 400 can include one or moresample outlet ports 433, 433A, 433B fluidly coupled to the internalconduit 430 to facilitate removal of fluid from the sampling device andthat can interface with a tube or pipe (not shown) for transporting afluid sample from the device 400 to a reservoir or testing station foranalysis. For example, the “top” sample outlet port 433, which issubstantially aligned with the longitudinal axis 403, can be integrallyformed with the interior support member 460. In one aspect, the topsample outlet port 433 can be formed in, or associated with, a top ofthe interior support member 460. In addition, the “side” sample outletports 433A, 433B, which are off-axis or substantially perpendicular tothe longitudinal axis 403, can be fluidly coupled to the internalconduit 430 when in the open position via a lateral conduit 413A, 413Bin the housing 410 aligned with a lateral conduit 429A, 429B in thesleeve 420 in fluid communication with a lateral conduit 461A, 461B inthe interior support member 460. The lateral conduits can besubstantially perpendicular to the internal conduit 430. In one aspect,the side sample outlet ports 433A, 433B can be formed in, or associatedwith, a side of the housing 410. In one example, the side sample outletports can include, similar to that shown in FIG. 1 at reference numeral132, a fitting 432B (shown in phantom lines FIG. 8A at one location, butwhich could be at any outlet port location) coupled to the sample outletport configured to allow for removal of the sampling portion of thefluid from the sampling device for sampling.

Pressure seals 480A, 480B can be disposed between the interior supportmember 460 and the sleeve 420, and pressure seals 481A, 481B can bedisposed between the sleeve 420 and the housing 410. The pressure seals480A, 480B, 481A, 481B can provide a pressure barrier between therespective components to facilitate passage of a fluid sample from theinternal conduit 430 to the sample outlet ports 433A, 433B withoutleakage. Additional pressure seals 435, 436 can be used, as needed, toprovide a sufficient pressure barrier between various components of thesampling device 400. Suitable pressure seals can include O-rings,gaskets, or the like. A cap or plug 432 can be used to close one or moreof the sample outlet ports when not in use, as illustrated with the cap432 attached to the top sample outlet port 433.

When in the closed position, unlike the open position, the sleeve 420 ispositioned such that the inlet opening 422 and the outlet openings 424A,424B are not aligned with the inlet 412 and outlets 414A, 414B,respectively. Pressure seal 440B can be configured to minimize orprevent the passage of fluid between the sleeve 420 and the housing 410that would tend to pass through the inlet opening 422 of the sleeve.Similarly, pressure seal 441A can be configured to minimize or preventthe passage of fluid between the sleeve 420 and the housing 410 thatwould tend to pass through the outlet opening 414A, 414B of the sleeve.Thus, the sleeve can block or prevent the flow of fluid through theinlet 412 and outlets 414A, 414B of the sampling device. In addition,the pressure seals 441A, 441B associated with the outlet openings 424A,424B of the sleeve and the pressure seals 481A, 481 B associated withthe side sample outlet ports 433A, 433B can be configured to prevent thepassage of fluid between the sleeve 420 and the housing 410 that wouldtend to escape from the sampling device 400 as well as isolate the sidesample outlet ports 433A, 433B from internal pressure and fluids. Thepressure seals can also minimize or prevent leakage of fluid between thesleeve 420 and the housing 410 tending to enter or exit the sleeve viathe sleeve openings (i.e., the inlet 412 or the outlet 414A, 414B), aswell as the lateral conduit 429A, 429B of the sampling device 400. Asshown, the pressure seals are configured as O-rings disposed between thesleeve 420 and the housing 410, although any suitable seal can be used.

This pressure seal configuration can also provide some redundancy toaccount for a faulty seal. For example, if pressure seal 440B leaks,then fluid can enter the inlet opening 422, but is blocked from the sidesample outlet ports 433A, 433B by the pressure seals 481B, while thepressure seal 481A prevents fluid from escaping the sampling device 400.In addition, if one or both of the pressure seals 440A, 441A leaks, thenthe pressure seal 441B can prevent fluid from reaching the side sampleoutlet ports 433A, 433B. Conversely, if the pressure seal 441B isfaulty, fluid can be prevented from reaching the side sample outletports 433A, 433B by one or both of the pressure seals 440A, 441A.

In one aspect, the sampling device 400 can be configured to facilitatesafe removal of the filter 450, such as for maintenance. For example, apressure gage can be coupled to any one of the top or side sample outletports 433, 433A, 433B and a valve, such as a vent or bleed valve, can becoupled to another of the sample outlet ports to facilitate “bleeding”pressure from the sampling device 400 when in the closed position. Inone example, the pressure gage can be coupled to a side sample outletport 433A, 433B and the valve can be coupled to the top sample outletport 433. In another example, the pressure gage can be coupled to a topsample outlet port 433 and the valve can be coupled to the side sampleoutlet port 433A, 433B. An increase in pressure over time would indicatethat one of the pressure seals is faulty and appropriate action shouldbe taken prior to removing the filter. If there is no pressure buildup,then the pressure seals are intact and the filter may be safely removed.In one aspect, the other sample outlet port can be used to purge theattached sample system, or coupled to a gas detection system to checkfor the release of toxic gas.

With reference to FIG. 9, illustrated is a fluid flow sampling device500 in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. Thisexample illustrates a sampling device that does not include a sleeve.The simplified sampling device 500 includes a housing 510, and a filter550 that are similar in many respects to those described above. Thefilter 550 is coupled to an interior support member 560, which includesan internal conduit 530. In this example, however, the interior supportmember 560 is coupled directly to the housing 510, in the absence of asleeve. The coupling between the interior support member 560 and thehousing 510 can be a threaded connection 562 or any other suitableconnection. Thus, the internal support member 560 and the filter 550 canbe removed from inside the housing 510.

The sampling device 500 also illustrates another embodiment of an inletfor the sampling device. As in the example illustrated in FIGS. 7A and7B, inlet 512 is disposed at an end 515 of the housing 510. However, inthis example, an end surface 519 of the housing 510 is substantiallyperpendicular to the axis 503. Thus, little, if any, of the entrance 513to the inlet 512 is exposed to fluid flowing in direction 502 toward theinlet.

With reference to FIG. 10, illustrated is a fluid flow sampling device600 in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. Thisexample illustrates a sampling device that does not include a sleeve ora filter. The simplified sampling device 600 includes a housing 610 andan internal conduit 630. As in other examples disclosed herein, thehousing 610 includes a fluid inlet 612 and a fluid outlet 614longitudinally separated from one another along an axis 603 of thehousing. A coupling portion 609 on the housing 610 can couple the fluidflow sampling device 600 to a fluid conduit 601 and position the fluidinlet 612 in a middle third 604 of the fluid conduit 601. Additionally,the fluid outlet 614 can be positioned in an upper third 605 of thefluid conduit 601. The fluid inlet 612 and the fluid outlet 614 can befluidly coupled to one another such that a portion of fluid flow in thefluid conduit enters the inlet, flows through the housing, and exits theoutlet. Another portion of the fluid flow is extractable from within thehousing 610 to a location outside of the fluid conduit 601.

In a related embodiment, and to reiterate to some degree, a method forconfiguring a fluid flow sampling device in accordance with theprinciples herein is shown in FIG. 11. The method comprises obtaining ahousing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet longitudinally separatedfrom one another along an axis of the housing, and a sample outlet portto facilitate extraction of fluid from within the housing 700. Themethod further comprises obtaining a coalescent filter 710.Additionally, the method comprises disposing the coalescent filter inthe housing so that upon fluid flow from the fluid inlet and the fluidoutlet, a sampling portion of fluid passes through the filter forextraction via the sample outlet port for sampling and a bypass portionof the fluid flows past the filter and out of the fluid outlet to carryaway coalescent material from the filter 720. It is noted that nospecific order is required in this method, though generally in oneembodiment, these method steps can be carried out sequentially.

In one aspect, the method further comprises obtaining a sleeve havingopenings corresponding to the inlet and the outlet of the housing, thesleeve being rotatable relative to the housing about the axis to an openposition and a closed position, wherein the open position aligns theopenings of the sleeve with the inlet and the outlet of the housing toallow fluid to flow into the inlet, through the sleeve, and out of theoutlet, and wherein the closed position blocks the inlet and the outletwith a portion of the sleeve such that no fluid can flow through thesleeve. In another aspect, the method further comprises disposing thesleeve in the housing. In an additional aspect, the method comprisesdisposing the coalescent filter in the sleeve.

While the foregoing examples are illustrative of the principles andconcepts discussed herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and detailsof implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty,and without departing from those principles and concepts. Accordingly,it is not intended that the principles and concepts be limited, exceptas by the claims set forth below.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fluid flow sampling device for positioning in afluid conduit, comprising: a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluidoutlet longitudinally separated from one another along an axis of thehousing, the fluid inlet positionable in a middle third of the fluidconduit; a coalescent filter disposed between the fluid inlet and thefluid outlet to allow a sampling portion of fluid to pass through thefilter and to allow a bypass portion of the fluid to flow past thefilter and out of the fluid outlet to carry away coalescent materialfrom the filter; a sample outlet port comprising a fitting coupled tothe sample outlet port configured to allow for removal of the samplingportion of the fluid from the sampling device for sampling; and a sleevedisposed in the housing that is movable to block or allow flow throughthe fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the sleeve comprising a lateralconduit corresponding to the sample outlet port, wherein when flow isallowed through the fluid inlet, the lateral conduit is aligned with thesample outlet port to facilitate removal of the sampling portion of thefluid from the sampling device.
 2. The fluid flow sampling device ofclaim 1, wherein the sample outlet port is on a side of the housing. 3.The fluid flow sampling device of claim 1, further comprising at leastone seal disposed between the sleeve and the housing to minimize fluidleakage between the sleeve and the housing tending to escape from thesampling device.
 4. The fluid flow sampling device of claim 1, whereinthe housing comprises an elongate configuration to facilitatelongitudinal separation of the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.
 5. Amethod for configuring a fluid flow sampling device, comprising:obtaining a housing having: a fluid inlet and a fluid outletlongitudinally separated from one another along an axis of the housing,and a sample outlet port comprising a fitting coupled to the sampleoutlet port to facilitate extraction of fluid from within the housing;obtaining a coalescent filter; disposing the coalescent filter in thehousing so that upon fluid flow from the fluid inlet and the fluidoutlet, a sampling portion of fluid passes through the filter forextraction via the sample outlet port for sampling and a bypass portionof the fluid flows past the filter and out of the fluid outlet to carryaway coalescent material from the filter; obtaining a sleeve havingopenings corresponding to the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of thehousing, the sleeve being movable relative to the housing to an openposition and a closed position, wherein the open position aligns theopenings of the sleeve with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of thehousing to allow fluid to flow into the fluid inlet, through the sleeve,and out of the fluid outlet, and wherein the closed position blocks thefluid inlet and the fluid outlet with a portion of the sleeve such thatfluid is prevented from flowing through the sleeve, the sleeve having alateral conduit corresponding to the sample outlet port, wherein whenflow is allowed through the fluid inlet, the lateral conduit is alignedwith the sample outlet port to facilitate removal of the samplingportion of the fluid from within the housing; and disposing the sleevein the housing at least substantially around the coalescent filter. 6.The method of claim 5, further comprising at least one seal disposedbetween the sleeve and the housing to minimize fluid leakage between thesleeve and the housing tending to escape from the sampling device.
 7. Afluid flow sampling device for positioning in a fluid conduit,comprising: a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outletlongitudinally separated from one another along an axis of the housing,the fluid inlet positionable in a middle third of the fluid conduit; acoalescent filter disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outletto allow a sampling portion of fluid to pass through the filter and toallow a bypass portion of the fluid to flow past the filter and out ofthe fluid outlet to carry away coalescent material from the filter; asample outlet port on a side of the housing to facilitate removal of thesampling portion of the fluid from the sampling device for sampling; anda sleeve disposed in the housing that is movable to block or allow flowthrough the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the sleeve comprising alateral conduit corresponding to a sample outlet port, wherein when flowis allowed through the fluid inlet, the lateral conduit is aligned withthe sample outlet port to facilitate removal of the sampling portion ofthe fluid from the sampling device.
 8. The fluid flow sampling device ofclaim 7, further comprising at least one seal disposed between thesleeve and the housing to minimize fluid leakage between the sleeve andthe housing tending to escape from the sampling device.
 9. A method forconfiguring a fluid flow sampling device, comprising: obtaining ahousing having: a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet longitudinallyseparated from one another along an axis of the housing, and a sampleoutlet port to facilitate extraction of fluid from within the housing;obtaining a coalescent filter; disposing the coalescent filter in thehousing so that upon fluid flow from the fluid inlet and the fluidoutlet, a sampling portion of fluid passes through the filter forextraction via the sample outlet port for sampling and a bypass portionof the fluid flows past the filter and out of the fluid outlet to carryaway coalescent material from the filter; obtaining a sleeve havingopenings corresponding to the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of thehousing, the sleeve being movable relative to the housing to an openposition and a closed position, wherein the open position aligns theopenings of the sleeve with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of thehousing to allow fluid to flow into the fluid inlet, through the sleeve,and out of the fluid outlet, and wherein the closed position blocks thefluid inlet and the fluid outlet with a portion of the sleeve such thatfluid is prevented from flowing through the sleeve, the sleeve having alateral conduit corresponding to the sample outlet port, wherein whenflow is allowed through the fluid inlet, the lateral conduit is alignedwith the sample outlet port to facilitate removal of the samplingportion of the fluid from within the housing; and disposing the sleevein the housing at least substantially around the coalescent filter. 10.The method of claim 9, further comprising at least one seal disposedbetween the sleeve and the housing to minimize fluid leakage between thesleeve and the housing tending to escape from the sampling device.